Philippines morning news for June 12, 2020

Gov’t suspends Balik Probinsya; prioritizes stranded individuals
The government has suspended Thursday the Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa (BP2) program and would focus on giving assistance to stranded individuals in Metro Manila amid quarantine restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
— Philippine News Agency

DOH: Repeat tests no longer required for healed COVID-19 patients
A suspected, probable, or confirmed case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) will no longer have to undergo a repeat test in order to be considered “recovered” under the new guidelines, the Department of Health (DOH) said Thursday.
— GMA Network

Philippines eyes human trials for China-developed COVID-19 vaccine — DOST
Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato Dela Peña on Wenesday said that the country may be conducting human trials for a coronavirus vaccine created by a Chinese company.
— Philippine Star

Duterte to announce new quarantine rules on June 15
President Rodrigo Duterte is set to announce the new quarantine classifications in the country on June 15, Malacañang said on Thursday.
— Philippine News Agency

443 new cases raise Philippines COVID-19 tally over 24,000
The number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the Philippines breached the 24,000 mark on Thursday after the Department of Health (DOH) reported 443 more infections–253 “fresh” or newly validated and 190 reported late–bringing the total to 24,175.
— GMA Network

Virus drags FDI inflows in February
FOREIGN DIRECT investment (FDI) inflows slumped by a third in February, as the uncertainty over the then-emerging coronavirus outbreak started spooking investors.
— BusinessWorld online

Seven areas under Signal No. 1; “Butchoy” heads towards West PHL Sea
Signal No. 1 remains hoisted over seven areas as “Butchoy,” now over Zambales, heads towards the West Philippine Sea.
— Eagle News

PH seen to still post BOP surplus in ’20 despite pandemic
Philippine monetary officials continue to see a surplus in the country’s balance of payment (BOP) position this 2020 despite the economic impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
— Philippine News Agency

Anti-terror bill critics can go to court — Palace
Groups opposed to the Anti-Terrorism Bill are free to question it before the courts even after its enactment into law, Malacañang said yesterday, as calls mount for President Duterte to veto the measure due to fears that it may lead to abuses.
— Philippine Star

Gov’t agencies urged to check Pinoys’ mental health amid Covid-19
Malacañang is urging relevant government agencies to check the state of Filipinos’ mental health after a Filipina cruise ship worker committed suicide.
— Philippine News Agency

Tourism receipts likely to suffer record contraction in 2020 –BSP
BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said tourism receipts are expected to contract by 56.9% this year, which could be the worst drop since the government started data collection on tourism receipts.
— GMA Network

PH can go to UNCLOS tribunal over 2019 boat-ramming incident in Recto Bank: Carpio
The Philippines can go to an international tribunal to demand reparation from China over last year’s ramming incident by a Chinese fishing vessel of a Philippine fishing boat in the Recto (Reed) Bank in the West Philippine Sea, retired Supreme Court senior associate justice Antonio Carpio said Thursday.
— ABS-CBN News

DFA confirms second suicide among OFWs awaiting repatriation
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr on Thursday announced that a female cruise ship worker awaiting repatriation amid the novel coronavirus pandemic died by suicide.
— Philippine Star

Low pressure area now Tropical Depression Butchoy
The low pressure area inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) developed into a tropical depression at 2 pm on Thursday, June 11. It was given the local name Butchoy.
— Rappler

Briones: Philippine education can t wait for COVID-19 vaccine
Education Secretary Leonor Briones stood firm on Thursday that basic education classes in the Philippines will open on August 24 but not necessarily through face-to-face mode, as she stressed that learning cannot be postponed until a vaccine against COVID-19 becomes available.
— GMA Network

At least 200 passengers stranded at NAIA after airlines cancel domestic flights
At least 200 domestic passengers were left stranded at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay City yesterday when their flights were unceremoniously canceled.
— Coconuts Philippines

Cash remittances decline in March with drop in OFW deployment
Cash remittances from overseas Filipinos reached $2.4 billion in March 2020, down 4.7 percent from the same month last year, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said on Thursday.
— ABS-CBN News

20-year Philippine housing strategy in the works
A 20-year housing strategy is in the works to address the need of Filipinos for shelter, which is expected to balloon to 22 million units by 2040, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development said Thursday.
— ABS-CBN News

Cebu City hospitals run out of beds for COVID-19 patients
The city’s hospitals have run out of space for COVID-19 patients, prompting the Department of Health (DOH) in Central Visayas to request the health facilities to dedicate more beds for those infected with SARS Cov2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
— Inquirer.net

PHL seen among worst-hit ASEAN economies due to extent of lockdown
THE Philippines could be among the worst-hit ASEAN economies with a projected contraction of 5% in 2020, second only to a projected decline of 6% for Singapore, Oxford Economics said.
— BusinessWorld online

Gov’t eyes hiring 50,000 contact tracers in July
The government plans to hire some 50,000 contact tracers next month, Malacañang said Thursday as it moves to boost its COVID-19 pandemic response.
— ABS-CBN News

Bangsamoro officials: Address ‘open wounds’ to curb terrorism
The government must address “open wounds” like the delayed rehabilitation of Marawi City to ease resentment at the government and curb recruitment by terrorist groups, leaders from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao said.
— Philstar

On eve of Independence Day protests, DOJ says rallies ‘temporarily banned’
People planning to attend Independence Day demonstrations on Friday, June 12, risk being arrested and even jailed because the government has said it loud and clear – rallies are temporarily banned during quarantine.
— Rappler

Spike in COVID-19 cases does not inspire further easing of restrictions –Palace
Malacañang on Thursday said the surge in COVID-19 cases “does not inspire” the further easing of restrictions.
— GMA Network

PH coronavirus cases projected to reach 40,000 by June 30 – experts
Experts estimated the number of coronavirus cases in the country could shoot up to 40,000 by the end of June as the Philippines is still experiencing significant community transmission of the disease, 3 months into the pandemic.
— Rappler

Over 1,100 LGUs have liquidated SAP funds – Sec. Bautista
At least 1,103 local government units across the country have already liquidated the funds disbursed for the implementation of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP), DSWD Secretary Rolando reported Thursday.
— Philippine Information Agency

Health workers with COVID-19 now at 2,808; one new death recorded
The Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday reported that the number of healthcare workers who have contracted the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) climbed to 2,808 as of June 10.
— GMA Network

40 more Filipinos abroad get coronavirus; total at 5,469
The Department of Foreign Affairs counted 40 more Filipinos who tested positive for the coronavirus, pushing to 5,469 the total number of confirmed cases overseas as of Thursday, June 11.
— Rappler

African Swine Fever spread slowed down during COVID-19 lockdown, says DA
The spread of the African swine fever (ASF), a disease affecting livestock hogs, which hit the country last year has already slowed down amid the lockdown imposed to contain another virus affecting humans –COVID-19, according to the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Industry (DA-BAI).
— GMA Network

Philippines bags coveted ‘A’ rating from Japan agency
The Philippines on Thursday secured its first ever “A” credit rating from Japan Credit Rating Agency Ltd. (JCR), which validated the strength of the economy to withstand the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
— Philippine Star

De Lima wants Senate probe on increasing mental health issues amid pandemic
The spike in the number of reported mental health issues amid the COVID-19 pandemic must be looked into by the Senate, according to Senator Leila De Lima on Thursday.
— GMA Network

U.N. Rapporteur writes PH court in Rappler case to protect journalism
United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression David Kaye has submitted a defense of journalism brief to the Manila court handling the high-profile cyber libel case against Rappler, its CEO Maria Ressa and former researcher-writer Rey Santos Jr.
— Rappler

Facebook says no proof of malicious acts by fake accounts in Philippines
Facebook has yet to find evidence that user-reported accounts that proliferated in the Philippines at the weekend had engaged in malicious and coordinated acts, the world’s biggest social network said on Thursday.
— CNA

Virus response loans push reserves to fresh all-time high
Dollars from hefty borrowings by the government for its coronavirus response found their way to the country’s foreign reserves that peaked to a new all-time high in April, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported on Thursday.
— Philippine Star

Boracay opens to W. Visayas tourists starting June 16
The Boracay Inter-agency Task Force (BIATF) on Thursday approved the reopening of Boracay to tourists from Western Visayas starting June 16.
— Philippine News Agency

Influx of OFWs, traced contacts cause Covid-19 test backlogs
The Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) sub-national laboratory on Thursday said the arrival of repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and the traced contacts of confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases cause the backlogs in test results.
— Philippine News Agency

Cordillera police burn P1.6M in marijuana in series of plantation raids
Two marijuana plantations were burned in Atok, Benguet on Thursday in a week that was the large-scale destruction of marijuana plants in the Cordillera region.
— Philstar

Sharper drop reveals remittances meet their match in coronavirus
The resilient cash remittances appear to have met their match on the coronavirus pandemic, with the central bank penciling in a deeper slump this year as more migrant workers get displaced.
— Philippine Star

Teachers group urges DepEd to fund P1,500 monthly internet allowance for educators
A teachers group on Thursday urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to provide educators with a P1, 500 monthly internet allowance as a remote learning approach is implemented this school year due to COVID-19.
— GMA Network

Over 47,000 construction workers return for work amid 10-day GCQ
The resumption of construction works in areas placed under general community quarantine (GCQ) since June 1 has allowed at least 47,401 workers to return to their jobs, a Cabinet official said on Thursday.
— Philippine Information Agency

Palace guarantees safety of data in contact tracing app
The Department of Health and private firm Multi-technology Corp. (Multisys) are set to sign an agreement to ensure that the use of contact tracing system StaySafe.PH would be compliant with data privacy, confidentiality and cybersecurity laws.
— Philippine Star

House panels want to compare PDRs of ABS-CBN vs other media entities
The House of Representatives will look into Philippine Depositary Receipts of media entities that will apply or have been granted with legislative franchise.
— Philippine Star

Gov’t wants role of StaySafe.PH app limited to data collection
The government wants the role of its official contact-tracing app, StaySafe.PH, to be “limited” to data collection amid privacy concerns aired by information technology (IT) experts and groups, Malacañang said on Thursday.
— Philippine News Agency

Sans public transport, gov’t eyes worker return to dine-in services
More employees are likely to troop back to work next week once President Rodrigo Duterte approves the resumption of dine-in services in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ), but how workers will get to work from home remains a problem.
— Philippine Star

Unemployed Filipina feeds other jobless migrants in Dubai
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Feby dela Peña saw her fellow Filipinos standing in line outside her building in Dubai, waiting for free food. And she was stricken — what if her family, too, had lost their income amid the COVID-19 outbreak? How would she have fed her three children?
— Business Mirror

PNP: Focus crimes hit “all-time low” amid community quarantine
Focus crimes such as murder and rape have hit an “all-time low” amid the COVID-19 community quarantine, the Philippine National Police said.
— Eagle News

PLDT, international partners to build new Asia-Pacific submarine cable
PLDT on Thursday, June 11, announced that the Asia Direct Cable Consortium (ADC), of which it is a member, is building a new submarine cable that would connect the Philippines, China (Guangdong Province), Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
— Rappler

DOJ maintains mass gatherings, including protests, still banned to prevent spread of COVID-19
Ahead of Independence Day on Friday, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said mass gatherings, including protests, are banned to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
— GMA Network

FDA Seizes Over P30M Food, Illegal Medicines, Medical Products
The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) confiscated over P30 million worth of illegal medicines, medical products and food in Pampanga.
— Philippine News

Solar-powered irrigation triples rice annual cropping in Antique town
The P5.5-million solar-powered irrigation system (SPIS) enabled three rice cropping seasons annually in Sibalom, Antique.
— Philippine Information Agency

Task force orders StaySafe developer to give users’ data to DOH
The coronavirus national task force ordered the private developer of StaySafe, its official contact-tracing app, to transfer all citizens’ information it collected to the Department of Health (DOH).
— Rappler

Gov t collecting unpaid taxes of POGOs, Roque insists
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque insisted Thursday that the government has been collecting unpaid taxes of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators or POGOs.
— GMA Network

Almost 10-M students have enrolled for “blended learning” in public schools says DepEd as it pushes Aug. 24 school opening
Almost 10 million students have now enrolled in public schools to avail of the multiple learning modalities prepared by the government amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Department of Education.
— Eagle News

Stranded justice delays resolution of petition to free vulnerable prisoners
The Supreme Court’s decision on an urgent petition to release vulnerable inmates has been delayed because the justice in charge of it is stranded in the Visayas, according to Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta.
— Rappler

DOF warns public vs. cryptocurrency
The Department of Finance (DOF) has warned the public against believing information saying that DOF Secretary Carlos Dominguez III is promoting a cryptocurrency auto-trading program called Bitcoin Revolution.
— Philippine News Agency

Work-from-home scheme increases cyber-security risks – DICT
Work from home arrangements during the pandemic increase the risk of cyber-security breaches, an official from the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) revealed.
— Philippine Information Agency

Supreme Court deliberations on ABS-CBN set for July 13
Embattled broadcast network ABS-CBN will have to hold its breath for at least another month, as the Supreme Court will only resume deliberations on its petition on July 13.
— Rappler

SMC toll roads go cashless to help contain Covid-19 spread
The San Miguel Corp. (SMC) will soon go cashless on all toll roads it operates, as it continues to find ways to help curb the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
— Philippine News Agency

SC begins deliberations on video conferencing rules for court proceedings
The Supreme Court has started deliberations on proposed rules governing the conduct of video conferencing.
— GMA Network

2 aliens tagged in POGO workers’ abduction killed
Anti-kidnapping operatives of the Philippine National Police yesterday killed two foreigners tagged in the abduction of their countrymen during a shootout in Angeles City in Pampanga that also resulted in the wounding of a police captain.
— Tempo

DILG on junking of case vs. ex-solon, others: They’re not ‘off the hook’ yet
The Department of the Interior and Local Government on Thursday said former Anakpawis Representative Ariel Casilao and other members of the leftist groups are not yet spared from other criminal liabilities following court dismissal of one of the charges filed against them.
— GMA Network

US wishes Philippines a ‘prosperous’ Independence Day amid VFA uncertainty
The American state department on Wednesday released a statement in anticipation of Philippine Independence Day on June 12.
— Philippine Star

BIR assures online sellers it will be reasonable on income declaration, no hefty fees
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Thursday assured online sellers that it will be reasonable in determining the appropriate taxes for the incomes declared after it required those conducting businesses through digital means to register with the taxman.
— GMA Network

DOH 5: Bicol has ‘zero backlog’ in COVID-19 testing
The Department of Health (DOH) in Bicol vows to provide timely update of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the region after it asserted that they have no backlogs in reporting of positive cases.
— Philippine Information Agency

Ramona Diaz’s ‘A Thousand Cuts’ will stream in the Philippines for free on June 12
A Thousand Cuts , Fil-Am director Ramona Diaz’s documentary about democracy and press freedom in the Philippines under President Rodrigo Duterte, will be streaming for free in the Philippines on June 12.
— Rappler

Elderly inmates’ plea for temporary release may be resolved next week, Peralta says
The elderly and sickly prisoners’ plea for temporary release on humanitarian ground, amid the pandemic, may likely be resolved next week, Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta said.
— Philippine Star

745 prisoners, 125 personnel in Philippine jails test positive for coronavirus
In a span of 3 weeks , over 200 prisoners and dozens of personnel in Philippine jails tested postitive for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
— Rappler

Don’t Do It: Cop warns Pinoys against joining Independence Day protests due to COVID-19
The chief of the Philippine National Police’s task force against COVID-19 is asking the public to refrain from joining Independence Day protests tomorrow which were organized despite the ongoing pandemic.
— Coconuts Philippines

Sacked Quezon City cop faces charges for positive result in random drug test
A Quezon City Police District personnel was relieved from his duty yesterday and is currently facing administrative charges after a random drug test found him positive of using shabu or methamphetamines.
— Coconuts Philippines

As online selling booms, BIR reminds vendors to register, pay taxes
As online selling takes off during the coronavirus lockdown, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) reminded vendors to register their business and pay taxes – including for their past sales.
— Rappler

DICT fast -tracks installation of free wifi sites nationwide amid COVID-19 crisis
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is speeding up the installation of free wi-fi sites in different locations in the country amid COVID-19 pandemic.
— Philippine Information Agency

Lawmakers’ changing of anti-terror bill vote has ‘no more bearing’ – Villafuerte
A ranking House member said lawmakers who are either changing or clarifying their vote on the anti-terror bill know they already missed their chance to do so, arguing shifting their vote no longer has any bearing on official records at this point.
— Rappler

Acceptance of Rio s resignation had nothing to do with StaySafe.ph app -Palace
President Rodrigo Duterte s acceptance of the resignation of former Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Undersecretary Eliseo Rio, Jr. had nothing to do with the latter s concerns over the selection of StaySafe.ph as the Philippines’ sole contact tracing application, Malacañang said Thursday.
— GMA Network

Albay LGU launches massive contact tracing of mobile nurse positive with coronavirus
The local government of Oas, Albay conducted round-the-clock contact tracing starting Wednesday, June 10, after a public health nurse involved in the town immunization program was found positive with coronavirus.
— Rappler

Australia donates P35-M worth of medical supplies to AFP
Australia is donating PHP35-million worth of medical supplies to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to further aid the military’s coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) response.
— Philippine News Agency

Kapatid slams BuCor for failure to inform families of prisoners’ deaths
A group composed of families of political prisoners on Thursday, June 11, slammed the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) for failing to immediately disclose the deaths of persons deprived of liberty to their immediate relatives.
— Rappler

ABS-CBN’s PDR holders have no rights to own, manage network
None of the Philippine Depositary Receipts (PDRs) sold by ABS-CBN Holdings to foreign companies gave these firms the right to own or manage the network.
— Rappler

StaySafe developer says Rio accusations ‘unfair’
The tech executive behind the Duterte government’s official contact-tracing app decried accusations leveled against him by former information and communications technology official Eliseo Rio Jr.
— Rappler

Feature photo Philippine Information Agency
This week’s Philippines morning news feature photo focuses on Philippines Independence Day, June 12.

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Philippines morning news for June 12 added by Stella-maris Ewudolu on June 12, 2020
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Stella-maris Ewudolu

Journalist at AEC News Today

Stella-maris graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Education from Ebonyi State University, Nigeria in 2005.

Between November 2010 and February 2012 she was a staff writer at Daylight Online, Nigeria writing on health, fashion, and relationships. From 2010 – 2017 she worked as a freelance screen writer for ‘Nollywood’, Nigeria.

She joined AEC News Today in December 2016.